The Pokémon Company recently announced 2018 would be the year of Legendary Pokémon for trainers. Each month a new set of powerful Legendaries will be available for free, and now, players can get the first pair.

Trainers who own a copy of Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, or Ultra Moon can visit their local GameStop from now until February 28th to grab the first two rare creatures of the year’s promotion—Dialga and Palkia. All players need to do is open the “Mystery Gift” option on the games’ title screen, enter in the code provided on the retail store card, and pick up the Pokémon from an in-game PokéCenter.

Depending on the version of the game you have, a particular moveset and Legendary will be awarded. Pokémon Sun and Ultra Sun owners will receive the Dragon/Water-type Palkia, while Moon and Ultra Moon will offer the Dragon/Steel-type Dialga. As for movesets, Ultra players get a slight advantage, as their versions of the ‘mons will know the powerful Draco Meteor move. For a full breakdown of the stats, abilities, and items available to each version, check out the chart below.

As both mixed Dragon-type Pokémon hail from the series’ fourth generation, first seen in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, it’s an odd choice for the Pokémon Company to choose them as the kick-off for the year. It could be the creatures’ god-like status in the lore of the series that puts them first, but regardless, there are plenty more Legendaries available through 2018. Fan-favorite creatures, including Raikou, Kyogre, Ho-Oh, and even a shiny Zygarde, are just a few of the Pokémon trainers can obtain.

The Pokémon world might be expanding outside of Legendaries at some point this year, too. Since the brief announcement of a Pokémon game for Nintendo Switch during last year’s E3, fans have been clinging to leaks. One of the more recent rumors showed off artwork of supposed Generation VIII starters, but it remains to be seen if they’re legitimate.

About Evan Slead

Evan has been loving games since he could hold a controller. When not replaying Megaman X or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for the 100th time, he also has been writing about entertainment, from horror movie reviews for Bloody Good Horror to TV recaps and general news for Entertainment Weekly, and now all things gaming. Say hello on Twitter at @EvanSlead.

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Pokémon players can now get the first free Legendaries of 2018

Each month, trainers can get freebie Legendary Pokémon, beginning with Dialga and Palkia.

The Pokémon Company recently announced 2018 would be the year of Legendary Pokémon for trainers. Each month a new set of powerful Legendaries will be available for free, and now, players can get the first pair.

Trainers who own a copy of Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, or Ultra Moon can visit their local GameStop from now until February 28th to grab the first two rare creatures of the year’s promotion—Dialga and Palkia. All players need to do is open the “Mystery Gift” option on the games’ title screen, enter in the code provided on the retail store card, and pick up the Pokémon from an in-game PokéCenter.

Depending on the version of the game you have, a particular moveset and Legendary will be awarded. Pokémon Sun and Ultra Sun owners will receive the Dragon/Water-type Palkia, while Moon and Ultra Moon will offer the Dragon/Steel-type Dialga. As for movesets, Ultra players get a slight advantage, as their versions of the ‘mons will know the powerful Draco Meteor move. For a full breakdown of the stats, abilities, and items available to each version, check out the chart below.

As both mixed Dragon-type Pokémon hail from the series’ fourth generation, first seen in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, it’s an odd choice for the Pokémon Company to choose them as the kick-off for the year. It could be the creatures’ god-like status in the lore of the series that puts them first, but regardless, there are plenty more Legendaries available through 2018. Fan-favorite creatures, including Raikou, Kyogre, Ho-Oh, and even a shiny Zygarde, are just a few of the Pokémon trainers can obtain.

The Pokémon world might be expanding outside of Legendaries at some point this year, too. Since the brief announcement of a Pokémon game for Nintendo Switch during last year’s E3, fans have been clinging to leaks. One of the more recent rumors showed off artwork of supposed Generation VIII starters, but it remains to be seen if they’re legitimate.

About Evan Slead

Evan has been loving games since he could hold a controller. When not replaying Megaman X or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for the 100th time, he also has been writing about entertainment, from horror movie reviews for Bloody Good Horror to TV recaps and general news for Entertainment Weekly, and now all things gaming. Say hello on Twitter at @EvanSlead.